The Border Security Force (BSF) is in talks with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for giving training to its troopers for identifying fake notes smuggled through Indo-Bangla border.

The paramilitary force and intelligence agencies are having sleepless nights over consignments of counterfeit Rs 2,000 notes being seized from the border in past one month.(Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

The Border Security Force (BSF) is in talks with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for giving training to its troopers for identifying fake notes smuggled through Indo-Bangladesh border.

The paramilitary force and intelligence agencies are having sleepless nights over consignments of counterfeit Rs 2,000 notes being seized from the border in past one month.

“The amount of counterfeit notes that has been recovered by security agencies is a matter of concern. The security features have been expertly replicated, half of the security features of the new Rs 2,000 notes is there in the fake notes. We are in talks with RBI for a training program for our soldiers and officers on ground duty for identifying fake Rs 2000 notes. Hope we will would be able to do it very soon,” a senior BSF official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

“We want our soldiers and officers to have a proper idea on how to identify fake and real notes, either by use of technology or physically. There are 17 features in the Rs 2000 notes, we want our jawans to be well trained in spotting fake notes, even with high number of security features replicated,” another BSF official said.

The booming trade in fake Indian currency notes using the porous Indo-Bangladesh border especially in the Malda-Murshidabad district, was believed to have taken a hit after demonetisation of Rs 1000 and 500 notes.

But alarm bells rang when counterfeit Rs 2,000 notes, which have replicated nearly 50-60 per cent of the security features, were seized.

The central security agencies and police intercepted few consignments of Rs 2,000 notes between December 2016 and January from areas near Malda district.

On February 8, West Bengal police arrested a youth with 40 fake Rs 2,000 currency notes from Murshidabad district, which is termed as the biggest such haul from the porous Indo-Bangla border region post demonetisation.